


A Reunion

by Baekhanded



Series: Lonely to Loved [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Brother Feels, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Emotions, Family Reunions, Gen, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-13 10:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18939409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baekhanded/pseuds/Baekhanded
Summary: Vanitas has been improving, and Namine makes good on her promise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This one fits nicely after chapter 7 of A Look Into Loneliness (if you haven't read it look here!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030203/chapters/44072089#workskin )

Vanitas had been doing so well. He’d been going to his classes. He’d been going to his therapy sessions, he’d even been slowly opening up to people he had deemed trustworthy.

 

Which so far only really included Axel, Naminé and Flood.   
  
But it was something, and it was obviously worthy of a reward.

 

He hadn’t believed her, really. When she had said she could pull strings and he could see Ventus again. When they tore him from the courthouse he had lost all hope of ever seeing his brother’s face again.

 

He liked Naminé but he didn’t think he’d ever get to a point he’d get perks, that they would go through any effort to actually  _ find  _ his family.

 

He was wrong.

 

“Hey, Vanitas,” Naminé had sought him out, her soft voice bringing him out of a daze as he played with Flood, “are you busy? Can you follow me for a moment?”

 

Vanitas frowned, but stood.

 

“It depends on if i’m in trouble or not.” He said and she laughed. 

 

“No, no you aren’t in trouble. Quite the opposite really.” she smiled at him, the brightest smile Vanitas had ever seen on her soft face. He was nervous. 

 

Or maybe that was excitement?

 

She led him down the hallway, through a door he had never been in before. It opened into another hallway, this one much brighter and, in Vanitas’s opinion, much weirder. He wrinkled his nose and stopped as Naminé stopped outside of a very bright door.

 

She turned to him, “Take a deep breath, ok? Things might be overwhelming, let yourself feel those feelings. Alright?”

 

Vanitas’s heart began racing and he did as he was told. Taking a very deep, apparent breath while Naminé  watched, then exhaled slowly. His eyes turned to the door. They felt like they could burn a hole through the wood as Naminé began turning the knob.

 

His heart was the only thing he heard as his vision was filled with light.

 

Pain tore his chest wide open as all the air left his lungs. His knees locked for a moment and his eyes widened. His heart throbbed painfully as it beat so, so quickly in his chest. 

 

It took all of a second but he didn’t register the movement. He didn’t know how he had made it across the room, he didn’t recall falling to his knees. He could only register the wetness on his face and the warmth in his arms, the heaving sobs in his ears. But he didn’t know who those belonged to.

 

A choked sound left him, followed by something high and keening as he pulled away to cup that face so much like his own. The blue eyes shone bluer than he could ever remember, the cheeks under his hands fuller than even his hardest work and going without could make them. His skin was healthy and vibrant and  _ tan  _ and his hair was so golden.

 

He was looking at an angel.

 

“ _ Ventus.” _ it came out of him like rocks scraping. Scratchy and half audible.

 

He smiled, and it was so much like the sun Vanitas had taken to spending time under.

 

“You look so good Vani.” Ventus’s eyes welled up and tears were falling before Vanitas could even take a breath.

 

He didn’t know what to do- what to say. He just held his brother’s face in his hands and stared until his vision got blurry, until no manner of blinking would clear his vision.

 

“ _ How?”  _ It wasn’t directed at Ventus, but he answered anyways.

 

“My new family got a call...They said they had been looking for someone with my name that knew someone named Vanitas. It.. it took them awhile because apparently the court tried to hide our connection, but your people have deeper ones, and...well...here I am?” Ventus smiled a watery smile. He didn’t try to hide his tears or wipe them away. 

 

Vanitas could only stare as they trickled over his thumbs. 

 

“You’re real.” His voice was soft, disbelieving.

 

Ventus brought his hands up and covered Vanitas’s own. So slowly. Carefully. The shock of it, the familiarity shooting straight through Vanitas’s core. A sound like a sob tore from his throat as he pulled Ventus in again. His teeth ground together as he felt his brother’s arms wrap around him. Still so gentle, but so much stronger than he could ever have managed on his own.

 

Neither could say how long they stayed there, a mass on the floor. A scene to the general public. But neither cared.

 

It had been too long since they had been together. Had been too long without knowing if the other was okay.

 

Vanitas didn’t know heartache until half of his heart had been returned. Until he could finally name the soul deep ache he’d had until now.

 

“Can I see where you’ve been, these past few months?” Ventus’s voice is soft, almost afraid to break their bubble.

 

Vanitas pulls away but only for a moment to glance back to Naminé who was standing beside a tall woman with bright blue hair. She met Vanitas’s gaze and smiled her kind smile, a small nod as she held a hand out for them to go back.

 

Vanitas didn’t waste a second, he held Ventus’s hand and stood on shaking legs. He took a deep breath, his vision clearing once more as he took Ventus back through the halls he had come from, past the bright door and bright walls to the more neutral colors that he had been knowing.

 

It was relief that he felt. In his familiar place, with his familiar person.

 

He led him to his room, a spark of pride in his chest as he announced it as such. He settled Ventus on the bed and with even more pride showed him Flood. Ventus was smitten immediately, just like Vanitas had been. Vanitas grinned, feeling like air as he watched Flood sniff Ventus’s face and give him a little lick.

 

It was a whirlwind that didn’t last long enough. Vanitas had introduced him to Axel, who had immediately taken to teasing Ventus the same way he had Vanitas. It felt funny watching his two worlds interact.

 

It felt even funnier hearing about Ventus’s new home. It wasn’t a good funny, either he didn’t thing.

 

He knew he didn’t like it.

 

How Ventus had been placed, almost immediately with a man named Eraqus, who already had two other adopted children- Terra and Aqua. How they had taken an immediate shine to him. How it didn’t take long at all for Ventus to feel, and call this new place ‘home’.

 

It still hurt when he had to leave. Vanitas felt like his heart was being ripped open again. 

 

But at least he got to hold on to him.

 

No one ripped them apart this time.


	2. Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanitas was normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! this is probably a Lil sad!

It was an odd feeling Vanitas had been left with ever since his brother had left. He kept it close to his chest and as it grew bigger the more days had passed, he pushed it down.

 

He grew quiet as this new feeling festered inside. 

 

Everyone noticed, but only Axel broached the subject in a way Vanitas knew how to answer.   
  
“What’re you feelin’ today, ‘Nits?” He asked as he sat beside him on a paint splattered bench.

 

“I...don’t know.” His brow furrowed and he looked down, picking at his nail beds.

 

Axel handed him something to distract him.

 

It was his typical technique, give ice cream to stop skin picking or nervous ticks. It always worked for Vanitas.

 

“Wanna tell me about it?”

 

“It…” he paused to find the right word, “it feels ugly. Rotten. It’s...I  _ know  _ I shouldn’t be feeling it I- Axel I shouldn’t be feeling this at  _ all.”  _ the tone of his voice shocked Axel from his calm attention.

 

It alerted more and he turned to look at Vanitas, who had dropped the ice cream and was starring in something like horror at his trembling hands.

 

“I’m _broken._ It’s _reverting_!” his voice was quiet but harsh. He stood quickly and gripped onto his hair- a meltdown in progress as ramblings left his mouth, “I thought I was getting better- that I wouldn’t _feel_ like this anymore. I haven’t felt this _ugly_ since I came here _Axel_ _what’s happening to me?”_

 

Axel stood and took Vanitas’s hands. He tried to tear himself away, his madness spiraling. Axel held firmer and pulled Vanitas closer until he had nowhere to go, could look at nothing but Axel’s chest or his face if he looked up.

 

“Tell me what brought this on, Van.” His voice was calm and cut through Vanitas’s panic.

 

“When Ven was here- he- I...When he came he was talking about his new people. His new  _ family  _ and I. I don’t know what it is but it was dark and ugly and curling in my chest. It keeps hissing at me and telling me that I was right all along, how easily replaceable I am. I’m not good enough how Ven could move on so fast, could forget all about me.”   
  
Axel waited him out, Vanitas’s voice breaking on the last word and falling into hyperventilating sobs. Axel helped him through it. Sinking to the floor his hands on Vanitas’s cheeks while Vanitas held strong to his wrists- a cruel mockery of the pose he had shared with Ventus not even a week ago.

 

He got him to ease his breathing, got him to settle. To listen.

 

“Vanitas. That’s normal- no, hey. No listen to me ok? I haven’t lied to you yet, have I? No. Okay so listen. It’s normal, thats fear, and I know you know that, so what else is it buddy.”   
  
Vanitas closed his eyes and let the darkness out, “Why- why does he deserve it. Why did- why did he get put in a place and get so much better so much faster. Why do I have to go through this, why did I have to suffer.” A pained sound left him as his eyes screwed even tighter, “I don’t  _ mean  _ it though Axel. I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone, least of all him. You  _ met him.  _ You saw how good he was- how good he  _ is.  _ I’m the monster that can take it. He deserves a good, happy family. But  _ I wanted it too _ . I want to live in the light and be happy and not wake up every night from nightmares or be too afraid to close my eyes because I think it’s all a dream and i’ll wake up broken in a closet somewhere or in a fucking grave. I don’t want to be dead and I don’t want to steal his life but i’m so  _ tired.  _ I’ve been tired and I  _ can’t _ take this anymore.”   
  
Axel held him close as Vanitas fell apart. He ran his fingers through Vanitas’s dark hair.

 

“That’s normal too, Vani,” He says, his voice soft, “what you went through- It wasn’t right. I don’t know what it was, but I know it wasn’t right. You’re a good kid, you were when you came it. You were just hurt- so hurt. You deserve happiness and light, but I think you might be in your own way a little. You’ve been doing so well. You came in so closed off- so unwilling to learn. But look at you now? Even just telling me this, and letting me see you cry. All of the emotions you’ve felt and shown to me, just in these last few minutes. Do you know how amazing that is? How strong you are? It isn’t fair that you have to be, but it’s amazing that you are. This isn’t your final destination kiddo. This is a pit stop on your road to a bigger, better and brighter life. I can’t wait to see it someday, how much more amazing you’re going to get. How much brighter you’ll be. Already a star, on the road to being your own sun.”   
  
Vanitas didn’t respond, but Axel knew he heard him. He felt Vanitas push in closer to him, dig his hands into Axel’s elbows and ride out his feelings. The box he had pushed so far down bursting open.

 

He let it all out on the art room floor and Axel held him together.

 

Jealousy was normal.

 

Vanitas was normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what yall think!!


End file.
